2nd Annual Royal Gorge Go Fast Games

DENVER, CO (November 5, 2004) – The Royal Gorge Go Fast Games returned to the world’s highest suspension bridge in Canon City, Colorado October 8-10th, to showcase athletes in B.A.S.E. jumping, "highlining" and big wall speed climbing – the only event in the world that combines these breathtaking extreme sports. The invitation-only event drew athletes from around the world – including Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Spain, Australia and the United States.

Highlights of the three-day Royal Gorge Go Fast Games included hundreds of B.A.S.E. jumps and aerials from the world’s highest suspension bridge and the world’s longest single span tram; as well as "highlining" demonstrations by Outside Magazine’s 2003 Man of The Year, Dean Potter, as he walked thin nylon webbing stretched between two cliffs, with nearly a thousand feet below.

"The Go Fast Games are the ultimate in extreme sporting exhibition/competition, and this year’s event was a huge success for both the athletes and event organizers," said Heather Hill, VP Communications, Go Fast Sports & Beverage Co. "The Go Fast Games provided spectators a site they wouldn’t see anywhere else, and offered the athletes a venue like no other in the world at the Royal Gorge Bridge."

New to the Go Fast Games for 2004, the big wall speed climbing competition brought some of the top names in climbing to race up the 1,000-foot pre-set route for the $2000 cash purse. 1st Place and $1,000 went to Team Mad Rock (Brian Gallant and Michael Johnson) of Colorado Springs, with a time of one hour and twelve minutes. Only one minute behind, 2nd Place and $600 went to Team Go Fast! (Clayton Reagan and Wayne Crill) of Ft. Collins, and Team Sharp End Publishing (Alan Lester and Fred Knapp) took home $400 in 3rd Place with a time of one hour and twenty-two minutes. The course record was set by teammates Dean Potter and Adam Stack with a time of 42 minutes, 13 seconds; however, their "simul-climbing" (i.e. not changing lead climbers) disqualified them from the standings.

Requests for invitations to the 3rd Annual Royal Gorge Go Fast Games are already in demand as athletes once again hail the world’s tallest span bridge as a "must-do jump. " This year’s venue accommodated three times as many B.A.S.E. jumpers as last, and event organizers are positive that "The Games" will continue to grow. "Safety was clearly the No. 1 priority—dangerous jumpers were reprimanded making the atmosphere responsible and non-competitive, " said BASE jumper David Royer.

"This is one of the holy grails of B.A.S.E. jumping," says Chris Pope - an eight-year B.A.S.E. jumping vet that said this year’s opportunity to jump the Gorge was too good to pass up.

What is B.A.S.E. jumping?

B.A.S.E. jumping is an acronym for the four types of fixed objects that are utilized for these foot-launched skydives: (B)uilding, (A)ntenna, (S)pan, and (E)arth. Unlike parachuting from airplanes, B.A.S.E. jumpers typically use only one parachute, as the generally much lower altitudes don’t normally leave time to use a reserve parachute. The Go Fast Games feature B.A.S.E. jumping from the Royal Gorge Bridge and from the world’s longest single-span aerial tram.

What is Big Wall Climbing?

Big Wall Climbing is the most complex, endurance-testing discipline in the sport of rock climbing, and generally climbers will take several days to ascend a wall – carrying all supplies with them and spending multiple days and nights on the largest rock faces in the world. The Go Fast Games feature Big Wall Speed Climbing, where teams ascend the steep faces of the Royal Gorge in record time, and in plain view for the spectators to see.

What is Slackline/Highline?

Slackline is a fusion of balance, strength, and concentration. From its beginning in the early 1980s as a way for climbers to hone these skills it has become a sport of its own. Slackline can be done thousands of feet off the ground, or 3 feet off the ground – it is similar to walking a tightrope, but without the use of a weighted bar for balance. The Go Fast Games feature highline demonstrations over 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River.